20: A dark side

The double doors of De Noir manor creaked as Melrose pushed it open. She took a step forward carefully as if she would fall somewhere if she didn't watch her steps. The marbled floor and high ceiling with old golden chandeliers told her that it was once a beautiful and grand manor. It was abandoned after Princess Celestine's death, and ever since, no one had the courage to enter the manor again until Reed came.

Although it looked gloomy, it was clean and the things inside were organized. She assumed Reed had it cleaned since his arrival. It wasn't like those manors she had seen in the town, but she could not say it was that bad. In fact, there was something in those paintings in the walls that mesmerized her.

She took more steps. Her shoes were clicking against the floor. She stopped in front of the painting that caught her attention the most. It was a woman standing above a hill while looking at the town filled with floating lanterns. Her long black hair was flowing down her back, sl